The Odd Man Out: Reasignment
by Motown Scrapper
Summary: The continuing adventures of Corporal Wilson Tyson. He gets transferred to the 555th JFW after the abuse he received from the witches of the 501st He finds that the tiny witches of the 555th to be much kinder. All is not peaches and cream however. There is some past history involving some of the witches that will be VERY painful. Have a box of Kleenex handy after the first chapter.
1. Chapter 1

The Odd Man Out…Reassignment

 **In case you have not figured out by now I'm the writer who has taken over this story. How could I not? He specifically mentioned that he liked the 555** **th** **JFW so he has officially been transferred there and one of the first things Diana did was restore his rank because as Meggie so eloquently stated. "What Minna did to him was mother fucking bull-shit" Meggie is such a sweet little girl. The girls of the 555** **th** **are going to treat him MUCH more kindly…that does not mean that things will be especially easy for him. There is some history involving him and some of the members of the 555** **th** **that will be painful. After the first chapter make sure you have a box of Kleenex at hand…You will need it. I am going to be consulting with Danger close to make sure I have his reactions accurate so I'm not totally taking over I'm adding the 555** **th** **and my grammar and spellchecker so you should find it a much easier read He will be making sure that Wilson is kept true to form.**

So I'm being transferred again. This time I'm being sent to the 555th Joint Fighter Wing. I have heard of them but not much. They are a new unit and are based on a carrier the CRNS Calypso never heard of it. It's supposed to be part of the Conch Republic navy, never heard of them either. I have heard they are officially called the Triple Nickels unofficially they are known as the Tiny Witches. I wonder what that means. I'm riding on a Westland Lysander it's a Britanian plane they have modified it with folding wings and an arrester hook. As we fly the pilot points out the window.

"There she is the pride of the Conch Republic fleet." He announced" The CRNS Calypso."

I look out the window and see what has to be one of the weirdest carriers in existence The large funnel on the over size island is belching thick black smoke and the flight deck has a strange extension on the side opposite the island. The plane came around and landed on the overhanging part of the flight deck. He taxied around to the side of the island.

"Well it looks like Major Evans and Captain Wilson are here to meet you."

I look around I don't see anybody who looks like a Major or Captain…then I see two little girls…and I mean LITTLE girls one looked to be around eight and the other around five or six. The Lysander rolled to a stop and cut its engine. I looked at the two little girl the older one had a Majors oak clusters and the younger one Captains bars. I climbed out of the plane as they approached. As they approached I saluted feeling a little silly doing so to these little girls. Both smartly returned my salute.

"Pleased to meet you Corporal Tyson." Diana said.

"I'm afraid it's Private now." I told her.

"I saw the report." Megan replied. "What Colonel Dietlinde Wilcke did to you was Mother-fucking bullshit! I mean like somebody has to do the fucking flag raising and nobody else was fucking doing it"

The language that came out of the tiny Captains mouth shocked me Diana chuckled.

"Yeah Megan is rather eloquent in her speech " she joked."But I agree with her you were treated unfairly."

The little major reached in her pocket and pulled out several Corporals stripes.

"Well we have already decided on one of your duties." Diana said, "You are now officially in charge of the flag raising and lowering ceremonies. Just remember this ship flies the Conch Republic Flag."

I looked up at the flag with its conch shell in a blue field. It had only been a few minutes since I landed and I already liked it. These little girls seemed to have a more military attitude than the older witches of the 501st

"I'll figure out what else you can do later." Diana said. "In the mean time I'll have Tanisha show you around."

I hear what sounds like somebody walking with a limp I turn around and I'm shocked to see a young black girl on crutches with heavy braces on her legs! There is no way with those braces she could fly a striker. Why is this girl even here?

"This is Corporal Tanisha Collins She is both our newest and oldest Witch." Diana said introducing them. "Tanisha this is Corporal Wilson Tyson He just transferred here from the 501st He will be in-charge of raising and lowering the flag and other duties as we find what he can do and what we need."

"Pleased to meet you Wilson." Tanisha replied extending her right hand

"Pleased to meet you too." I reply

I'm surprised by the strength of her grip. This little girl on crutches has the grip of a full-grown man! I have to know what she does here. So I ask her.

"So what does a girl on crutches do here?"

She looks at me for a moment then smiles before answering.

"I fly Grumman F6F Hellcat strikers with Alpha flight." She replied. "I joined the 555th just before the Calypso sailed I'm the newest and oldest strike witch here, I'm eleven the rest are under ten."

I can't believe that this little girl leaning on her crutches in front of me is actually a strike witch! Strike witches can't even wear pants because they would interfere with their magic and she has all this steel and leather covering her legs.

"You are staring at my braces." She said, "You can't believe I can fly a striker with them."

"No I can't," I tell her.

"Well I can't" She tells me with a smile. "But these are special braces they have quick release latches. I can take them off faster that you can take your pants off…even if you already have your shoes off."

"I'll take you're word for it." I tell her.

She has this disappointed look on her face when I tell her that. She starts to say something when another little girl who looks around five walks up like all the girls I have seen so far her uniform is light green she has sergeants stripes on her sleeve. She is skinny with long dark brown hair.

"Are you trying to get him to take his pants off so you can see his peepee?" She demanded but she never gave Tanisha a chance to answer her question. "Ever since you started to have periods you've been doing that to all the guys you can. I don't know why but you keep trying to look at men's peepees" She turned to me still talking" A couple months ago she started to bleed from her peepee. Mary tried to stop it but she couldn't Mary is one of our healers she's real good even though she only a year and a half. She started to cry when she couldn't heal her. Wendy tried next Wendy is Mary's cousin she's five she couldn't stop it either. They had me call the 501st to try to get help. They sent their healer Yoshika and she said that it's called a period she called it something else I begins with an "m" I can't pronounce it. She says it's what happens when a girl becomes a women and it's normal. She told us all about it. I didn't understand a lot of it something to do with being able to have babies. She said if a woman can have a baby and doesn't then after a month she will bleed from her peepee. I don't understand it something about eggs and stuff. Oh I'm Sergeant Susan Garibaldi."

She extends her hand and finally shuts up long enough for me to get a word in edge wise.

"I'm Corporal Wilson Tyson" I replied shacking her hand She had a firm grip though not nearly as firm as Major Evan's "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too. Your first name is the same as Meggie's last name that's weird. I became a witch when I was four. I'm five now I have been a strike witch for a year. My familiar is a little brown bat He's really cute he likes to hang under my bed at home. I can make like a radio I can make like radar too. They have me stand on the roof of the bridge sometimes to look for neuroi. We don't have radar so I have to play radar. Sometimes Diana is up there using her far sight or Lynn with her Three Dimensional Space Understanding it works real good she can tell if there is a neuroi close by and what type it is. She is on the bridge roof right now. We take turns. Diana says that if we get radar for the ship I'm going to become a night witch. She says they might put me with Sanya and Heidemarie. Right now I'm with Alpha Flight. Meggie is the commander of Alpha flight I'm her number two because I'm a sergeant and have been here longer than the other two. Tanisha is in our flight and the fourth member is Cindy Jablonski she is a corporal too She has been in the 555th about half a year. She really's little she's only two and a half. Don't call her a baby she hates that. And don't forget the half she doesn't like it when that is forgotten.

"Susie it's time for you to relieve Lynn." Diana called out.

"Okay." Susie responded. "I gotta go."

She ran off calling up her magic and showing the brown ears and webbed tail of her familiar. I watch her run off I have never seen somebody who talks as much as she does.

"Susie likes to talk." Tanisha said

"Yeah I think that is an understatement." I replied. "Does she ever shut-up?"

"Nope she even talks in her sleep!" Tanisha told him. "Come on I'll show you the rest of our humble home."

Tanisha turned and headed for the island…. moving a lot faster than I would expect from a girl on crutches. I had to run to keep up. She stopped at the open doorway of what was clearly the mess.

"I assume that you have seen a mess hall before." She said. "This is ours. "

She led me over to some refrigerator doors.

"We keep some ready to eat stuff in here incase somebody gets hungry." She told me.

Tanisha opened a couple of the doors to reveal small bottles of milk and soda and wrapped sandwiches and fruit.. That was when the alarm went off.

"Neuroi sighted all flights Take off Battle stations!" Diana announced over the PA.

"Gotta go" Tanisha declared as she spun around and called up her magic and presented a rat's tail and ears as she dashed out the door

By the time I reached the doorway she was already gone. I stand there trying to figure out what to do next. As well as trying to understand what Susie had told me. They had a strike witch who is only two and a half years old and a healer who is a year and a half. I have met four witches so far the oldest is only eleven the commanding officer is eight and the other tow are both five and one is a commander of a four witch flight. What have I gotten onto this time?

Poor Wilson is he going to be able to handle his new assignment? 


	2. Chapter 2 Meeting the Kids

Okay sorry for the delay I have been busy with Real Life. When you get to be my age real life tends to interfere more with free time. Hopefully the next one will be up sooner and I'm still getting chapter 5 ready for '555th JFW Young Blood'. Now for responses to reviews.

 **NCGaming: the waiting has ended.**

 **Danger Close: Yeah he is…and the biggest heart wrencher is still to come. Only a little Kleenex is needed for this chapter…you will likely need a case for the next one.**

 **Aviat0r: Yes that is normal for Susie; she even talks in her sleep! Megan is the daughter of a lumber Jack and the camp cook and part of the reason she swears so much is it blows off excess steam. Remember her familiar is a Wolverine she shares her temper (The Wolverine is female too.)**

 **LenCrossTop20: Well I hope to keep it up I usually am home more when it's cold so that should help.**

Meeting the kids

I slowly return to the flight deck, I get up in time to see witches taking off I guess from the hanger deck. They look smaller than the witches of the 501st They quickly form into three groups two have four each and one only has three, One of the witches from that group has an odd looking striker. I hear more engines behind me I turn around to see four bi-planes firing up their engines getting ready to take off I suppose they will be joining the witches. As I watch them get ready I spot something that does not look right. They have a little baby girl they are stuffing behind the pilot's seat of one of the planes! A damn BABY! Is this for real?" The ground crew move away and the bi-planes take off the one with the baby taking off first. They fly off in the direction that the witches had gone earlier. I turn and walk away wondering just what the hell is going on? Then I see a little black boy around eight or nine. What is he doing here? He walks up to me.

"Hi you're the new guy they just flew in aren't you?" He said

"Yeah" I said extending my hand. "Corporal Wilson Tyson."

"Darnell Morris." He replied shaking my hand. "Pleased to meet you sir."

"I'm pleased to meet you too." I reply. "So what do you do here?"

"I'm a mechanics assistant." He replied. "I help the mechanics work on the strikers."

I'm surprised to hear that this young boy was working on strikers even if he was only an assistant.

"How old are you?" I asked him.

"I'm eight." He replied.

"How did you become a mechanics' helper?" I asked him next

"My little sister is one of the strike witches and she brought me down to their base and I met Darla Evans, She's the one who made all the strikers we use. I'm really good at fixing stuff so she started to show me how to work on strikers." He told me then he looked around. "I have to get down to the hanger and get ready for the witches to land. You can come with me if you want."

I shrugged I had nothing better to do so I figured I might as well.

"Sure I'll go with you." I tell him.

"Good follow me!" He says as he darts down a staircase.

I follow almost stumbling as I struggle down the steep stairs. I hear a kid's groan as I reach the base of the stairs.

"I wish she wouldn't do that." Darnell exclaims.

I came down the stairs behind Darnell and saw him go over to an odd-looking striker cradle. It looked like most of them except for a flat shelf behind it. Darnell was picking up crutches and leg braces that looked like they belonged to Tanisha and setting them on the shelf.

"She always throws her stuff around when she mounts up and I have to pick them up and put them back on the shelf so she can have them when she takes off her strikers." He complained. "I know she has to take them off fast so she can get her strikers on fast but does she have to throw them around like this?"

I watch as he picks up the crutches and the braces and positions them on the shelf. I notice he puts the braces on the inside and the crutches on the outside. I still find it hard to believe that a little girl who uses crutches and braces on her legs is a strike witch.

"I wonder whose idea it was to recruit a witch that uses leg braces and crutches." I say to nobody in particular.

"That was my sister." Darnell replied. "She talked to Tanisha when the Calypso stopped in Detroit on the way to Houghton."

"How did your sister meet Tanisha." I asked him.

"Well Tanisha was sitting on the banks of the Detroit River crying when Tonya rolled up and asked her what was wrong." Darnell said "Tanisha told her that she had talked to Charlotte Yeager a few days before about being a strike witch, Charlotte told her that because of her braces that she could not become a strike witch. Tonya told her to wait there she had something to show her…Something WONDERFUL! Then Tonya rolled off to get her striker. She came back about half and hour later flying her striker. That's when she told Tanisha that if she really wanted to be a strike witch that she should come with her because she knew a girl who could make special strikers for paralyzed witches and she was living proof of that."

I'm stunned by what he said then I saw another odd looking striker cradle and saw a wheelchair butted up to the back of it. I remember that Darnell had said that Tonya had rolled up to Tanisha and rolled away from her. I looked at the wheelchair behind the odd striker cradle. I point over at it.

"Is that Tonya's?" I ask him.

"Yup!" he said with a big smile. " Tonya is the first Strike Witch who uses a wheel chair. She is VERY powerful; she's the most powerful witch in the 555th! "

I just nod my head. I listen to the young boy brag about his sister's power. I have a rough time accepting his assertion that his younger sister can be as powerful as he says. I mean she is in a wheel chair. She can't be that powerful. Then I watch as he goes over to the area behind her striker cradle. I remember that is where they kept spare parts and ammo with the 501st so I assume that is the same for the 555th then he stops by a rack that is loaded with rockets…BIG rockets! I follow him over to the storage rack. He looks up as I come over.

"You want to help me reload her when she comes in?" He asks. "These rockets are too heavy for me to lift by myself."

I look at the boy. He's a skinny little kid. I think it's more like I'll be lifting the rockets and he'll help a little.

"Yeah I'll help you." I tell him.

"Thanks." He replied.

"Hey Darnell is that the guy they just flew in here with you?" A young boy with blond hair a couple years older than Darnell called out.

"Yeah Jacob. He's corporal Wilson Tyson." Darnel informed him. "They sent him from the 501st"

"Nice to meet you Corporal Tyson." Jacob said as he walked up to me with his hand extended"

I shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you too Jacob." I said "And please call me Wilson. What do you do here?

"I'm the lead striker mechanic here." He replied.

I look at the kids stunned by what he just told me he looks like he is maybe ten.

"How old are you anyway?" I ask him.

"I'm ten." He replies. "I have been working on strikers almost four years since I was six. I helped build most of the strikers the 555th uses."

I'm can't believe what I'm hearing! If he is to be believed this little kid not only fixes them but also helped build them? Then I think about the witches in the group the ones I have met so far are little kids too…This whole damn unit is a bunch of little kids. What is this war doing to us?

"Yeah Jacob, Wilson told me he would help me load the rockets on Tonya's striker if she fired them." Darnel told him.

"Good because she did fire them off plus Tanisha used her firestorm and is getting a ride back from Gamma flight." He replied. "I hope she has enough strength left to dock her strikers so we don't have to pick them up off the flight deck."

"Why would we have to pick them up from the flight deck?" I ask.

"When Tanisha uses her firestorm power it really draws a lot of magic." Jacob explained "It burns her out so she grabs one of the wing struts and rides on the lower wing she locks her arm around the strut. If she is too worn out when they land her strikers will fall off where they land. "

"Does this happen a lot?" I ask. "And does it happen to any of the other girls?"

"It happens quite a bit with Tanisha because her firestorm is so powerful." Jacob told me "Anne sometimes has to do it too because she will charge in throwing up shields all around her right in the middle of a bunch of neuroi and wear herself out. She's getting more careful about how she throws up her shields and charging in the middle of a bunch of neuroi by her self."

I hear the familiar sound of striker units approaching as I look toward the front of the hanger I can see some strikers move in…then suddenly one comes in at a high rate of speed it looks like it's going to crash into the back of the hanger. I dive to the floor sure it's going to crash, and then it suddenly turns at the last moment. Then I hear this little giggle. The striker pulls up to me and this cute little blond haired girl smiles at me.

"You funny" She giggles then she flies over to one of the striker cradles and docks her striker. She walks up to me.

"Who you?" she asks "Me Cindy!"

I stare at the little girl she could not be more than two or three. I can't put my finger on this but I feel like I have seen her before.

"I'm Corporal Wilson Tyson" I tell her.

"Me Corporal too!" she says with a smile.

By this time other strikers are coming in, much slower and more carefully. I watch as they dock and the witches dismount. I see a thin brown haired girl run up to Jacob and they hug each other. Then Diana dismounts and Darnell runs up and hugs her! This is a lot different from the 501st; there Minna would not even let the witches go near the guys. Here I just saw two couples embrace and one of them was Diana and Darnel and they are different races! Then again Grant always taught me not to judge a man by his skin tone, still sending kids to war is bad enough but losing a girlfriend before you're ten is something else. I watch as the girls dock their strikers and shut down and dismount. They look so little. Most of them look like they are around five or six. Then I realize that eleven took off only eight have returned I know already that Tanisha is coming back on the wing of one of the fighters that leaves two I look over and see that Tonya's striker cradle is still empty, I look over to Darnell. It's like he already knows what I am thinking.

"Tonya can't maneuver tight enough to come in through the front when the ship is moving. She is landing on the flight deck Tracie is with her they will use the elevator to come down." He informed me.

Then I hear the elevator coming down and see two more witches coming down there is a little black girl in this massive one piece striker and a little white girl in normal strikers with her. The black girl slowly maneuvers that massive striker in the her cradle the little white girl watching her once she is in place the striker cradle tilts back and she slides into her wheelchair. Her legs look so thin not at all what you think of a strike witch. Only when she is settled does the girl that came down with her park her striker and dismount. She is so tiny she can't be more than four. She runs over to Tonya and jumps in the crippled girls lap! I'm about to say something when Darnell speaks first.

"Yup that's my little sister." H e says. "The other girl is Tracie they are best friends she is kinda like Tonya's baby doll. You'll find that Tracie spends a lot of time in Tonya's lap."

Tonya spun around and rolled over to were Darnell and I were standing.

"Hey Darnell you want to check-out my right engine for me? It's making some odd noises and running a bit rough." She said then turned to face me. "Who is this?"

"That's Corporal Wilson Tyson." Darnell replied. "He just got here."

"I'm Sergeant Latonya Morris and this is Sergeant Tracie Osborn. " The little girl in the wheel chair said.

"Nice to meet both of you." I said.

I looked at the legs of the girl in the wheel chair…they were little more than skin and bones. I could not believe that this little crippled girl was actually a Strike Witch. I can tell that these two were very close. Then somebody shouted down from the flight deck and announced that Gamma flight was coming in and Tanisha looked like she was out.

"Hey Wilson can you go and help Tanisha?" Jacob called out to me.

"Yeah sure." I reply.

I run over to the elevator as it starts to go up and jump on I hear a thump next to me and see that Captain Wilson had jumped on too. She had a worried look on her face.

"I fucking wish she wouldn't be so fucking careless when she throws a fucking firestorm." She said. "One of these fucking days she is going to do that and fucking go down and we fucking won't be able to fucking get to her in time."

I looked at the little Captain For all her foul mouth and hard ass attitude this was somebody who cared about the girls under her command.

"She'll be okay.' I told her

"I hope so." She said "I fucking hope so."

I could see a single tear roll down her cheek. We came to the deck as the last of the bi-planes landed I could see Tanisha secured to the lower right wing her strikers dropped off as the plane taxied to a halt. Megan and I both rushed to the plane. I saw them take the baby girl out of the lead plane out of the corner of my eye as we came up to Tanisha as she lay on the wing of the plane. I helped Megan get Tanisha off the wing and laid her out on the flight deck. She was still as we put her down. She was barely breathing Megan looked at her then over at the baby girl.

"Mary!" She yelled out. "Get the fuck over here!"

The tiny tot smiled and started to run toward us.

"Otay" she called out.

As she ran toward us I noticed that red stripes appeared on her cheeks and yellow stripes on her neck as she arrived I saw a tail that looked like it came from a reptile. She knelt down next to Tanisha smiling.

"I heal!" she chirped.

I had seen Yoshika Myafuji heal an injured witch before but not close-up, now I watched as this tiny tot started to glow with a soft blue light a magic circle formed under her and her hands glowed as she started to transfer her power to Tanisha who soon came around. Mary leaned over and kissed her.

"I heal!" she said again with a big grin on her face.

I just stared at this tiny witch as she treated Tanisha. She was just a baby but she handled the situation with Tanisha like a pro. I can't believe what I just saw.

"She's fucking good." Megan announced. "That definitely justifies keeping her around."

"So Tanisha you need a hand up?" I ask.

"I can't walk with-out my braces and crutches." She replied, "I can't even stand."

"Yeah" I reply realizing my mistake. "In that case…"

I pick her up.

"I'll carry you." I announce.

I watch Megan call up her familiar, which is a wolverine! I start to think I made a mistake until she goes over to Tanisha's strikers and picked them up.

"Lets get these down to the hanger." She says.

I carry Tanisha to the elevator while Megan carries her strikers. She puts them down then turns to Tanisha.

"You have to stop this burning yourself out bullshit." She declared. "I'm tired of having to carry you and your fucking strikers down here because you fucking over did it again. I'm fucking tired of this fucking BULLSHIT!"

I could not believe that Megan was yelling at Tanisha not to mention all the foul language.

"HEY! You don't yell at someone for doing their best in battle." I tell her "She's trying to fight these things and give all she's got. I understand you don't want her to get hurt. But in the desert you didn't yell at someone for valor, you rewarded him or her for it.

"Yeah I fucking know she's fucking brave and all that shit. But I don't want to have to write a fucking letter to her parents about how fucking brave she was when she fucking died." Megan replied as tears started to flow down her cheeks. "I fucking don't want to have to see Mary crouched over her fucking dead body crying her little fucking eyes out because she couldn't fucking save her. I don't fucking care if she's twice my fucking age, it's my fucking job to fucking bring her back alive!"

Mega stood there crying so hard that tears were pooling in front of her on the lift.

"I…I don't want to fucking lose her." The little captain said in a low voice.

Tanisha looked at Megan and started to tear-up herself then she buried her face in my shoulder.

"I…I'm Sorry she sobbed.

I look at the little girl in front of me crying her eyes out then at the somewhat older girl in my arms crying into my shoulder. I get down on one knee so I am closer to Megan's level.

"It's okay, I can see you care about your people. A good leader does, but you can't let that get in the way of them doing their jobs. I've lost friends …but I know they would have laid down their lives for the fight."

"Yeah I fucking know that. But you don't win a fucking war dying for your country…you make the other fucking bastard die for his." Megan replied "Tanisha, I know you fucking want to do your best but if you fucking burn out all your fucking magic in one shot then we fucking have to cover you. Keep a little to get fucking home…we fucking need you too much."

Tanisha pulls her face out of my shoulder and looks at Megan

"I know, I'll try better." She replied Tears still rolling down her cheeks.

Megan walks up and hugs her while she is still in my arms.

"Please do, I like you too much to have to fucking bury you" Megan responded tears still rolling down her cheeks too.

"Kid, Patton only said that for show." I tell them " In a war you try your best to kill the enemy, in the infantry we don't have healing witches. We lose men every Battle but we know that they would have wanted to fight and lay down their lives to defeat the neuroi."

"Well we have fucking two healing witches." Megan told me. "The 555th is the only fucking unit that does. There are not enough fucking witches now. That's why we are fucking here. We have to fucking fight because we fucking can. If we fucking don't who fucking will? We can't fucking afford to lose any witches there ain't fucking enough now. Besides what do you think those fucking generals will say if fucking little girls die? They don't fucking like us now. Those motherfuckers would fucking try to send us home if we start losing little witches. We have our own fucking carrier but they would probably try to stop us from fucking getting fuel and supplies. We have to fucking fight smart."

The truth quickly dawns on me. They had more to lose than I did, if I died one less grunt if they lost a witch it could mean the difference between defeat or victory.

"Maybe you're right, " I finally tell her.

The lift bottoms out and Megan picks up the strikers.

"Let's get this stuff where it belongs." She announces as she puts the striker units back in their cradle.

I look down at the young witch in my arms she is obviously very tired. I decide to take her straight to her bunk. Tanisha looks around

"Where are you going?" she asks.

"I'm taking you to your bunk you look like you are about to fall asleep in my arms." I tell her

"No! You can't I need my braces and crutches." She protested and started to squirm in my arms.

"Be careful! You are going to make me drop you!" I warn her.

"But I need my braces and crutches!" Tanisha continued to protest. "If I have to go to the bathroom I won't be able to get there!"

"Don't worry as soon as I put you in your bunk I'll go get them." I tell her.

She calms down and I take her to their bunkroom and put her in her bunk.

"I'll be back." I tell her as I trot back to the hanger and get her stuff. As I go back to the hanger I wonder just what the hell is this war doing to us. I'm on a ship that is full of little kids who are fighting the neuroi and I am picking up the braces and crutches for a little girl who's legs are paralyzed and she is flying a striker and fighting these monsters. I bring her stuff back to her and knew immediately that I had made the right decision. The poor kid was out like a light. I lean her braces and crutches against her bunk near her head. Then I look over and see the little toddler witch who said her name was Cindy holding a framed picture and talking to it. I wonder what that is all about…

To be continued… 


	3. Chapter 3 Pain from the past

**Okay I finally have it done. You better have your box of Kleenex ready …You will need them…a lot.**

 **Now for the replies to the reviews.**

 **Aviat0r: With Susie it is. She even talks in her sleep!**

 **Empty Promise and I'm Not a Haole I Swear: You think chapter 2 was a tearjerker you ain't seen nothing yet!**

Chapter 3

I stand and look at the tiny tot it sounds like she is telling who ever is in the picture about the days combat.

"Who are you talking to" I finally ask her.

She looks up at me.

"I talk my Daddy. He hewo he save a bunch of people. Neuwoi kill him." She tells me. "Me want kill aw neuwoi for Daddy!"

Oh god...  
FUCKING GOD DAMN IT! I scream inside, because I find my eyes set on a face I hadn't seen in months...Danny…Fucking Danny, the damn jarhead, and yes Marines fought in North Africa, damn it, why did this have to happen now?

Cindy looks at me with an odd expression on her little face. I look at her nametag. Jablonski the same as Danny's then I look at the little girl in his arms she is a bit younger in the picture but it is the same girl.

"Why you act wike dat?" she asks me.

Damn Danny, always playing hero, always trying to keep us alive (He was ranking Sergeant) and then...

"That's... not your... is it"? I ask her.

"Him my Daddy neuwoi kill him!" She tells me as her eyes tear up. "Me kill aw neuwoi for him!"

I'm stunned… This cute little girl should be home playing with her little rag doll not on a warship on a campaign of vengeance hunting down neuroi to avenge her father…. Who died saving my life! I can feel the anger and hatred in this tiny tot. I look at this tragic child.

"Cindy your father died saving my life." I finally tell her.

I braced myself for a flood of anger; instead she looked up at me with those bright blue eyes.

"He saved you wife." She said. "So he wiked you."

I recall that I'm speaking with a child not a full-grown woman. But still I feel as though she should hate me. I got her father killed nothing I say will ever change that. Not sorry not anything I do. I feel a tear shed roll down my face. Perhaps it's for her forgiveness or perhaps for all my comrades who died, I only let the anger out. I never cried for them and now this bit of compassion is breaking that down.

"Damn." I murmur.

Cindy looks up at me with a puzzled expression on her little face.

"Why you cwy?" she asks me.

"It's…my…fault." I choke out.

"What your fault?" she asks innocently.

I stood for a moment looking at this tiny tot she was only two and a half years old and now was fighting the neuroi to avenge her father…who died saving my life. It would not be easy but I decided she deserved to know the truth…even if it meant she would hate me afterward

"Okay Cindy this is going to take a while I'm going to tell you what happened." I tell her. "You mind if I sit down on your bunk?"

"Otay" she said moving over to give me space.

I sat down next to her and started to tell her what happened.

"I recall it was after Kasserine Pass. We had been trying for some time to regroup. What forces we had at the front had been kicked in the balls and were running. I had managed to find a few Second Corps guys along with an M3 Stuart lost from his platoon. Later we found a bunch of Jarheads, yup right in the middle of sand city. We came across a small town and began to figure out whether we should bypass it or move through it…then all hell broke loose. It was an ambush by neuroi forced that had lied in wait for us. Danny I recall speaking to him on the boat back in early 1942 so I knew him, took charge since he out ranked me. Quickly setting up a skirmish line we kept the neuroi at bay, but then our tank took a hit and was knocked out. I jumped up on the tank trying to open the hatch while the guys inside were banging for help, I couldn't get it open, it was too hot to the touch. Danny saw I was having problems and jumped up to help together we got the hatch open. Right after we got the last tanker out we both turned our heads and saw a neuroi taking aim at us. Before I even knew what was happening he grabbed me and threw me off the tank." My voice started to crack. "I watched helplessly as the beam blew the tank sky high and him with it."

I pointed at the picture she was holding in her hands.

"He had that picture with him when he was hit." I told her. "It was the only thing left I picked it up and still have it. It's with my gear."

By this time tears were flowing down my face. I looked at her and she was crying too. She looked up at me with all those tears streaming down her cheeks.

"You hewo too." She said. "Dat why Daddy saved you."

I sat and thought about what happened that day. He wanted to go around the town I suggested going through it instead because I thought it was more direct. He decided to go through the town after I told him I thought it would be quicker…I was wrong and he died because I was. This is going to be hard but Cindy is entitled to know the rest of the story she is entitled to know the truth. I take a deep breath,

"Cindy I'm no hero." I began." I am the reason he's dead. If he had gone around the town over the ridge instead of going through it to save time He would still be alive. It's my fault."

Cindy sits looking at me with those bright blue eyes of hers with a puzzled look on her face.

"Why you say dat?" She finally asked.

"Cindy your father wanted to go around the town." I told her. "I suggested it would be quicker to go through the town. After we talked we went into the town … the neuroi were waiting for us. If he had not listened to me he would be alive. It's my fault."

I sat and waited for Cindy to respond. Then I heard a loud thud.

"BULLSHIT!" Megan yelled after jumping down from the top bunk. "Jablonski made the fucking final decision right?"

Megan's sudden appearance and shouting shook me up some.

"H…huh yeah" I finally stammered.

"Then it's not your fucking fault then." She said. "He was in command not you."

She better not say what I think she is going to say.

"Are you saying that it's his fault?" I asked her a slight edge in my voice.

"FUCK **NO!"** Megan replied.

"It neuwoi fauwt." Cindy added.

"That's right Cindy" Megan agreed, "It's the mother-fucking neuroi's fault and nobody else. I read the report you guided the remaining men back to our lines with out fucking losing anybody else you fucking picked your way past those mother-fucking neuroi and fucking brought them home. They gave you that fucking Silver Star because you did a fucking good job."

"No" I said, "I didn't deserve it. They should have given that medal to Sergeant Jablonski not me."

"Daddy got medal too," Cindy declared as she bounced across the bed to her nightstand and pulls out three small boxes. "See?"

She opens them up and places the opened boxes on the nightstand, Two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. She points at them.

"Bwonze star. Two Puwple Heawts" She told me.

I almost told her that the Silver Star is a more important Medal But I decided she didn't need to hear that. Those medals were all she had left of her father. She didn't need to know that.

"I'm no hero, I just do my job and if I make a difference, well that's a bonus." I finally tell them.

Megan smiled at me

"That's what makes a fucking hero you fucking do your fucking job and do it no matter what." She told me.

No, I didn't join to play hero, I'll leave it to the guys in the funnies." I tell her.

"We all have our own fucking reasons. I fight because I fucking can, Cindy fucking fights for fucking revenge. Mary is here to fucking help people." Megan stated.

"Doesn't matter, " I tell he shaking my head. You don't fight for a piece of silver, you fight for the people next to you."

"You fucking got that right!" Megan replied. The fucking medals are there just to fucking let you know you fucking did good. That is why I get so pissed off at Tanisha sometimes. She fucking puts all her power into her firestorm and fucking has nothing left to fucking get home with."

"Kids got guts I'll give her that." I say. " Some people think too much about the mission rather than themselves."

"Yeah she fucking does " Megan agrees. "Cindy does too. She won't fucking stop as long as there are fucking neuroi around. She fucking won't retreat. She's fucking crazy sometimes."

Cindy sat with a grim look on her little face.

"Me kill aw neuwoi for Daddy! Me no wun, me kill AW neuwoi" She grimly stated.

"Spirit like that will win any battle." I tell them.

Megan looks over at her smaller teammate.

"I fucking hope so. She fucking scares me the way she is so angry that she just fucking charges in with-out fucking thinking" Megan stated, a clear look of concern on her face.

"Funny how some people have the idea to save their friends, but never think of their own lives once." I tell her.

"Yeah" Megan said looking at me and nodding slightly. "You fucking know all about that."

I do … you never like losing a friend… but you have to keep fighting because if you don't, if you give up, then they will have died a meaningless death." I tell her.

"Yeah I'll remember that.' She responded.

"It's what counts but my war is different from yours." I say.

"Yeah you're an adult we're fucking little kids." Megan said.

"No,no, you witches not to sound rude forget what war is. You may fight it, but you fight a war where you're never gonna run out of bandages or meds, no more bullets, down to a blade, a close war where you go toe to toe with death, no shield or healing magic nothing but a uniform and a gun to keep you safe, that was, my war." I tell her.

Megan looked over at Tanisha as she dozed on her bunk. She had barely been able to pull her top off before she collapsed after I had carried her down now she lay in her underwear in the bra she barely needed with her emaciated legs a result of her polio. Megan looked up at me.

"You fucking know how many times she has flown back on the fucking wing of that fucking plane? One of these fucking days she won't fucking make it." The tiny Captain's voice started to crack as her eyes started to tear up. "You fucking hit the fucking ground from where we fucking fight…No fucking place to fucking hide, no fucking place to fucking run. We fucking run out of fucking magic up there…Fucking SPLAT!"

She stood there shaking tears slowly coming down her cheeks. I look at her and shake my head.

"Maybe our wars aren't so different after all then, it's just guts that keep us alive.' I finally said.

"Yeah that and looking out for each other." She added.

"Only thing that keeps a good unit together." I said agreeing with her.

"Fucking right. Guts ain't enough you fucking need each other. You fucking ain't got that gut's alone will fucking get you fucking killed." She pointed out.

Cindy had retreated to the corner of her bunk holding the picture to her ear with her right hand and sucking her left thumb. Then she looked up at me put the picture down took the thumb out of her mouth and bounced over to me.

"My Daddy told me to do dis." She declared then she wrapped her little arms around my neck and planted a big kiss on my cheek, "My Daddy say you hewo too."

"He was always too darn modest for his own good." I sighed.

I looked at his little daughter sitting on her bunk smiling at me. I decided it would be easier to agree with her. I nodded and smiled at her,

"Okay if you say I'm a hero I'm a hero." I told her.

Megan smiled as she wiped the tears off her face. Then motioned toward the porthole and the fading daylight.

"Where's that fucking bugle of yours? It's getting about time." She announced. "You going to need some help?"

I laughed, the first real laugh I'd had in a long time and rubbed her hair.

"I think I can dig it out and a helping hand would be nice." I tell her.

I smiled and had another hearty chuckle. Cindy and Megan giggled with me. I left to get my bugle out of my gear. I went up to the flagpole wondering who Megan would send to help. It took me a minute to dig out the bugle from my bag then I went up to the flagpole. As I was walking to ward the Flagpole from the hanger from where I had left my bag I saw Tonya roll in on her wheel chair with Tracie in her lap. As they come up to me Tracie jumps from Tonya's lap the both come up to me.

"We're ready." Tracie says.

Tonya nods in agreement. I look over the two little girls.

"You know what to do?" I ask.

They both nod.

"I'm going to lower the flag and help fold it." Tracie told me.

"And I'm going to catch the flag when Tracie lowers s it so it won't touch the ground and help her fold it then I'll carry it to where it's put away." Tonya added.

"Have you done this before?" I ask them

They both nod.

"We have never had a bugler before but we have lowered the flag." Tracie said.

I raise my bugle and nod then I raise it to my lips and start to play taps. Tracie walks up to the flagpole and starts to lower the flag as it starts to come down Tonya positions her wheelchair to catch the flag as Tracie lowers it Tonya gathers into her lap. Once the flag is down and Tracie unclips it from the rope she pulls the flag taut and the two girls fold it perfectly Tonya places the flag in her lap and nods to me. Then both girls head to the island I realize that Tracie is marching! I fall in behind the girls and march myself as they march up to where a cabinet is on the wall of the island the whole time both girls have a serious expression on their faces. As Tracie opens the cabinet and Tonya carefully places the flag inside. And Tracie closes it. Once the cabinet door is closed both girls smile.

"I like the way you play Taps." Tonya tells me.

"Yeah it's a lot more serious." Tracie adds.

I'm stunned then it dawns on me these little girls are not looking at this as play time. For them it's very serious. From what I am seeing and from what Megan told me I realize that to these girls this is no game. They are both sergeants while they are still non-coms they both out rank me I salute them and they return my salute.

"It's time for dinner" Tracie tells me.

She climbs into Tonya's lap.

"Come on you can join us." Tonya announces.

I'm surprised this is another thing they never tolerated with the 501st. Mina would never even tolerate me even talking with the witches never mind sitting with them to eat. I go with the to the chow line I don't know which is more surprising, how little Tracie puts on her plate or how much Tonya piles on her tray. I have more on my plate than Tracie and less than Tonya. I sit down with them at a table and got another surprise when I saw Tracie just attack her food something I had not expected since she only had a small amount in a matter of minutes her plate was clean and she leaned back and let loose with the cutest little belch. I just stare at her. She looks up at me.

"What?" She demands.

"I can't believe you ate that so fast." I tell her.

"I was hungry!" she replied sheepishly.

"But you didn't take that much." I reply

"That's 'cause I got a little belly." She responds patting her belly.

I look over at Tonya as she eats she looks like she's afraid somebody will take the food away from her if she doesn't eat it fast enough.

"She always eats like that after we come back from a hard fight." Tracie tells me. "She burns off a lot of energy and that makes her really hungry."

I look at Tonya then back at Tracie they are so different Tracie is a tiny little white girl from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan while Tonya is a Southern Black girl in a wheelchair. But they are clearly best friends; I have not seen this type of closeness very often. A couple times I had seen some of the witches of the 501st show some lesbian love but this is clearly not like that it's more like they are sisters it looks like Tonya is taking the big sister role. I'm curious about this improbable friendship I just have to ask.

"I notice you two are really close. Why is that?" I ask.

Tonya paused from stuffing her face with food.

"Tracie tested my striker when it was first built. She made sure it flew well." Tonya said. "She's the reason I'm a strike witch."

"I am NOT!" she exclaimed. "You're a strike witch because you are strong and work hard. I can barely fly your A-20 I can go about 20 minutes with it empty and less that 15 with a full weapon load you can fly it for hours you can go up fire your rockets go reload and do it again! You are really strong. Not a weakling like me."

I look at the little witch. I don't think of somebody who goes to war as weak.

"Tracie you're not weak." You go out there and fight with the rest of them.

"I am too weak." She replied. I arm wrestled Cindy yesterday…and she beat me! It wasn't even close!

"Well you did beat Mary" Tonya pointed out.

"Yeah barely." Tracie replied looking over at the tiny witch sitting with Gamma flight in her high chair.

"Yeah you are weak." Tonya added " but you are VERY brave. You go out alone on those long-range recon missions. Dodging the neuroi and getting the job done you don't give-up you find a way to get in and out. You're smart you know how to avoid the neuroi you can't beat and get the job done that's why I like you, you got guts."

Tracie by this time is blushing beet red.

"I guess." She said in a quiet voice.

Tonya looked over at me with a little smirk on her face.

"You know what else I like about Tracie?" she asked.

I shake my head no. Tonya smiled and suddenly grabbed Tracie and puller her into her lap.

"She makes a great baby doll!" Tonya announced.

Tracie grinned and put her thumb in her mouth. Tonya picked her up and started to rock her.

"See?" Tonya said. "A perfect baby doll!"

Both girls giggled and I had to chuckle along with them. Then I looked up and saw Diana coming my way. All I could think of was how Minna got mad when she found out I had talked to some of her girls. I cringed as she approached.

"I heard about your talk with Cindy and Meggie." She announced. "Thanks you really helped her. She feels a lot better now that you confirmed that her Daddy was a hero and she is glad he saved your life because you are a hero too."

"No I'm not." I tell her shaking my head. "Sergeant Jablonski was, I'm not."

"Why? Because he died?" Diana asked. "He's a hero because of what he did not because he died. You are a hero because of what you did. You don't have to die to be a hero. You just have to do what you have to do when you have to do it and that's what you did."

"Yeah and he left a little daughter behind." I tell her. "I'm alive and she lost her father. Is that fair?"

"No it's not." Diana agreed "and you want to do something about it."

"Yeah I do." I reply.

"Good then be her friend." Was Diana's surprising reply. " She needs an adult male to be her friend…and I think that being her friend would help you too."

I sat there a little surprised by what Diana had just told me to do. I had gotten in trouble with Minna for talking to the witches of the 501st, she had made it clear that she did not like her witches talking to the men that were associated with their support. Here Diana basically told me to be friends with one of her girls.

"You want me be to be Cindy's friend?" I asked her.

"I think it would be good for both of you." She told me.

"You know Minna gave me a lot of static when I talked to some of her girls." I informed her. She made it clear that men were to stay away from her witches."

"Yeah I know." Diana agreed. "She started to give Caroline a hard time because Jacob is her boyfriend she said if something happened to him she would feel bad and it might have a bad effect on her combat capabilities. I pointed out to her that they have been friends since both of them were in diapers. That did not mean much to her." She looked over at the table where the boys were sitting. "You should have heard her when she found out about me and Darnell she really lost it then."

"Oh yeah Minna would be like that I agree." I tell her. "She thinks it might cause moral problems."

"Well as I see it we are all in the same unit and should work together and hang with each other on off duty time." She told me. "That is how Darnell and I got together I didn't think he should be in his room by himself just because he's black and most of us are white so I dragged him to the lunch room and when the other girls noticed and commented that I had a boy friend. I responded by kissing him." Diana giggled, "I thought he was going to pass out from fright. I was just trying to get him to come out of his shell…then we fell in love."

I just looked at her and one thought came into my head.

"Uh you don't…" I started to ask

Diana interrupted. "We're eight years old…Of course not …Now when we get older." She gave me a sly wink.

Diana looked over to where Gamma flight was sitting. One of the pilots was playing patty-cake with Mary. She looked back at me.

"Minna would probably get mad about that too." She said, "They are in the same flight and I think that helps their moral a lot. Those four pilots act like uncles for little Mary She needs that and playing uncle for her makes them happy.

I look at the tiny red haired toddler who was obviously enjoying herself and the pilots were having just as much fun their laughter could be heard and it brightened up the place. I smiled as odd as it seemed I felt at home here. Then Diana spoke.

"You're going to room with Darnell and Jacob for the time being." She told me.

"Yes Ma'am." I reply as I stand up and salute her.

She smiled and returned the salute. As I turned and walked away to get my gear it dawned on me that I felt comfortable saluting the little Major. She might not be very big but she carried her rank well. Things here are going to be interesting. I get my gear and go to my new bunk both of the boys were already in their bunks. I decided I was too tired to shower and stripped to my underwear and after setting my alarm laid down myself I put a little note in my log.

'Log; First day of new assignment, settled in well enough, works not too hard, but then again the 555th isn't your average combat unit. Tired as a dog so I'll keep it short, I think I'm going to like it here…'

At this point I loose my battle to keep my eyes open and laid back on my bunk and fall asleep.


End file.
